Provisions decided to be incorporated in Panchayat Act: Cong

Jammu and Kashmir unit of Congress today claimed the ruling coalition has agreed to incorporate certain provisions of the 73rd Amendment of Constitution into the state Panchayat Act, ending more than two years of stalemate over the issue with its partner National Conference.
"The (NC-INC) coalition coordination committee arrived at a consensus on the provisions that will be incorporated in the state Panchayat Act.
"These provisions include institution of a separate Finance Commission and a separate Election Commission for the Panchayats in the state," Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Saifuddin Soz said in a statement here.
He said the provisions also include having elections throughout the Panchayat system without any nominations.

"Consensus was also arrived at the reservation for SC, STs and women," he said.
The coalition partners have been at loggerheads over the implementation of the 73rd amendment of the Constitution in the state. While Congress was in favour of extending the constitutional amendment to the state, NC had shown willingness to only incorporate certain provisions in the state Panchayat Act, sources said.

The coordination committee also agreed that the Land Acquisition Act and Food Security Act would be adopted in the state "in due course of time", Soz said.
He, however, said "the acts would be minutely studied and anomalies, if any, removed in the interest of the people of state. This exercise would be made at the earliest."

The Congress leader said the coordination committee also arrived at a consensus on the procedure for removing an "erring" Sarpanch and provision for auditing of Panchayats in the state.
The issue of reducing the voting age from 25 to 21 years in Panchayat elections was also agreed upon in the meeting, he said.